


Truth

by kavalai



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Gay Male Character, Male-Female Friendship, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Pre-Relationship, References to Drugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 04:11:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16527077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kavalai/pseuds/kavalai
Summary: Sometimes all it takes is a little truth serum.





	Truth

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't do any research into the scientific nature of how truth serum works. This is very generic.

Danielle let herself into Stephen's apartment, making her way into the kitchen. Her full figured 5'5” body was draped in a purple and black kimono maxi dress. For a brief moment she was taller than his lean 6’4” frame because he was seated at the kitchen table, mid-spoonful into a bowl of Cheerios.  


"Hey."

She greeted him casually, going to toss her bag on the counter. Glancing at its sticky texture, she decided to hang her bag on the back of Stephen's chair instead. He was dressed in plain dark jeans and a gray t-shirt. She dropped several bags on the counter, not caring if the plastic got anything on it. Then she grabbed a hair-tie out of the open front pocket of her bag before sliding into the chair across from him. Tying her dark brown hair into a messy bun, she said,

"So you weren't kidding. You need more than a maid. You need an intervention."

He rolled his blue eyes at her. "

It's not THAT bad."

Her green eyes flashed back at him as the half-Italian in her took over, gesturing wildly with her hands,

"No, no. Not if you were ... a 22-year-old frat guy with no brain cells and no prospects."

"You know I'm --"

“Like, 15 years older? Yes, I realize that! You did graduate before me, remember?"

He shrugged, continuing to eat his cereal.

"Anyway," she began, "I brought supplies." She gestured towards the bags.

"Wow, thanks. I was really just looking for a maid."

"At your service. And this place is starting to make me break out in hives, so I think I'll just get started."

"What? No! No."

She stood up, touching his shoulder for the briefest second as she passed him.

"What are friends for?"

"I didn't call you over here so you could play maid for me."

"Didn't you?"

"No!"

"Friends help each other."

She reached in one of the bags and took out a pair of yellow chemical resistant gloves.

"Jesus, Dani, you aren't going to need a hazmat suit to clean my place.

She smirked at him, snapping the gloves against her wrists for good measure. 

"You know I like to go deep -- in all things."

He rolled his eyes at her again, turning back to his cereal. If she wanted to play maid, have at it. That saved him over a hundred and fifty dollars. 

"Plus, I called for reinforcements."

"What!"

He didn't mind letting her see his place look like a pigsty, but he didn't actually want to advertise it. He trusted her with more of his secrets than anyone else, this current mess included.

"Calm your mammaries, I just called Ian. He'll probably play video games with you while I clean up."

Stephen sighed with relief. Ian was a mutual friend, Danielle had introduced them several months ago. He was the most laid back, non-judgmental person Stephen had ever met. He probably wouldn't even notice the mess, because he just didn't care about stuff like that.

"Hey friends, lovers and other strangers. Anybody home?" Ian called out as he entered.

"In the kitchen!" 

Danielle replied as she began wiping down the counter with a sponge and some cleanser.

Ian’s dark hair was streaked with blue and spiked. He had on black jeans with a chain on the hip and a black shirt covered in glitter. Stephen shook his head. He really liked Ian, but sometimes he looked like he came straight from an Adam Lambert copycat competition. It was one of Dani’s favourite things about him, especially on Karaoke night. His cover of "Ghost Town" was not to be missed.

"When did all of you decide it was okay to just enter my place without knocking?" 

Stephen grumbled to himself as he took another bite of his cereal.

"Since always."

Danielle replied without hesitation.

"Since Dani-bear texted me to just come on in.”

Ian entered the kitchen with his usual flamboyance, kissing her on the cheek before sitting down across from Stephen. 

"So what's the plan, Stan?"

Finished with his cereal, Stephen pushed away the bowl and shrugged. 

"Dani has taken it upon herself to be my maid, so .. do you wanna check out Night of the Living Dead: Redemption?"

"Sure."

Ian shrugged, looking over Stephen's shoulder at Danielle.

"When did you become Ms. Spic n' span?"

"I'm just helping out."

"You hate cleaning."

"I also hate a mess!"

"Uh... huh." 

Ian watched Danielle finish cleaning the counter tops and start setting out her supplies.

"Hey Stephikins, why don't you give Dani and I sec?"

"Okay. And I told you - don't call me that. It's weird."

"You'll get used to it."

"I will NOT."

Standing, Stephen went to the sink with his bowl. Danielle held out one of her gloved hands.

"I can put a dish in the dishwasher, you know."

"I have a system going already, just give it to me."

He shrugged, handing her the bowl on his way to the second door on the left, his game room.

"So... are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Ian waited, his steady, observant gaze unwavering.

"I told you, I'm just helping him out. He should be saving his money, not spending it on a maid."

"You have a maid."

"That's different."

"How?”

"Stephen just got this place like, two months ago. He needs time to settle in and really make it --"

"A pigsty?"

".... his own."

Ian sat back, watching her as she began stacking the dirty dishes on a dish towel.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Some of this stuff is caked on. I'm just going to give it a once over before it goes in the washer, after I clean the sink."

"Why are you doing any of this at all? I mean, okay, he could use a maid service. He can hire one. Don't you think this is above your pal-grade?"

"No."

"Of course you don't. Nothing is above the pal-grade for Stephikins."

"Shut up."

Ian paused for the briefest of moments.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"He knows."

"Does he?”

She was now scrubbing fervently at the sink.

"I told him a long time ago. I don't think he ever took it seriously. Or maybe he did, I don't know. I can't read him about this kinda thing. Almost anything else? I can practically ace. But distinguishing if he knows my feelings for him are past platonic? I think my fear is my kryptonite, and I think he'd just as soon ignore it altogether than believe my feelings could be real. It's something we both suck at, royally."

“So what do you do?”

"I flirt. He ignores it. I flirt more. He goes quiet. I wait a while. I resume. It's like a game of cat and mouse except I'm not trying to catch the mouse, I just continuously let it skirt away."

"Why?"

"Because I'm still the same chicken shit at my core that I was at 15, terrified that he'll never allow himself to feel these things. Or more accurately, that he can't feel them for me."

"So instead you jump at any opportunity to help?"

"Basically."

"Honey."

Ian stood up, coming up to her but not leaning against the counter.

"You know that's not really living, right?"

"It's safer this way."

"You never play it safe!"

She sighed softly.

"Ian! Are you coming?"

"In a second!"

He glanced at Danielle's furtive movements. 

"I have to tell you something. I may have done a bad thing."

"What?" 

Danielle didn't bother looking up.

"I.... may have been on the phone with Jeannie when you called.."

Danielle’s scouring came to an abrupt halt. She didn't look at him yet, however, her whole body had visibly tensed.

".. and I may have told her where I was going, and she wanted to meet Stephen, so.."

"IAN!"

"I'm sorry, okay? But we've been putting it off for like, ever, and she was getting suspicious, and since we weren't really doing anything, I just thought.."

"You KNOW how she is."

"I know." Ian flinched.

"She'll be stuck to him like superglue."

"Come on, babe. Stephen doesn't let anyone that close."

He saw something flash across her face, but it disappeared before he could distinguish it. He reached out to touch her elbow, but she moved away. 

"Please don't be mad..."

"I flew right past mad, into furious.”

Stephen came into the kitchen, arching an eyebrow at the two of them.

"Are you done with your tête-à-tête yet?"

"Hey man," Ian began, "I uh, I sort-of invited someone over.."

"Who?"

"Our friend Jeannie, she's been wanting to meet you."

Stephen looked from one to the other. Danielle had her back to him and now that the sink was clean, was furiously washing the dishes and pans, one by one.

"So?" 

Stephen said.

Ian shrugged, sheepish. 

"I just, you know. I'm sorry, for not asking first.”

Stephen shrugged back. 

"Dani’s working on my catastrophe. Any friend of you both is welcome here as long as they can look past it until it isn’t..so bad."

Danielle was focusing on the pot with crusted mac n' cheese in it. She wanted to throw it. She exhaled loudly. She knew all of this was completely irrational. But her blood was simmering. 

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Well, go greet your guest of honor." 

Danielle huffed, 

"As you can see, my hands are full."

Ian sighed softly, heading to open the door.

Stephen made his way to the now clean counter, leaning against it. Their hips brushed, but he didn't even notice or bother moving away.

"What are you so hyped about?"

"I'm fine.”

"You're wound tighter than a spring. I think you’re going to snap. Look, I told you, I can hire a maid."

"It's not that. This is fine. It's helping me channel my anger, actually."

"So what are you angry about?"

"I warned you about Jeannie, remember?"

"No. But to be fair I don't generally remember things about people who aren't actually in my life."

"She's the one who --"

"Hellooooo. Party's here!" 

Jeannie strode into the small kitchen, all curves and confidence. Her thick blonde hair was tied in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck and she was clad in ripped jean shorts and a red tank top with matching flip flops. Every bit the quintessential Florida girl, her skin was sun kissed and her lips were glossed. She fixed her sparkling brown eyes on Stephen's tall, lean frame.

"We meet at last. I was beginning to think you were Dani's Snuffleupagus."

He didn't move from his place on Danielle's left side, making a weak motion with his right hand in the gesture of a wave.

"Nice to meet you. As you can see, I'm not imaginary. I just loathe social media platforms."

Jeannie approached, reaching out with one long manicured finger and her thumb as if she was going to cup Stephen’s face. 

“No wonder you’ve been hiding him, Dani. What does your mom call guys like this again?”

Dani turned abruptly on her left heel, stopping Jeannie’s hand mid-air with one of her yellow gloves. Stephen noticeably froze.

“A tall drink of water..”

Dani’s voice was clipped as she used her mother's catch-phrase for tall guys. She took a breath and explained, releasing Jeannie’s hand,

“Don't do that, okay? He doesn’t like to be touched.”

Jeannie’s looked from Stephen to Danielle.

“Ever?”

Stephen shrugged,

“Not particularly. There are exceptions.”

Jeannie mulled this over for a millisecond and then launched herself at Danielle. 

“Hey girl! It's been forever. What are you doing?"

She hugged her friend warmly around the waist. Danielle seemed to visibly relax.

"Just cleaning up. Sorry, I’d hug you but my hands are all .. soapy."

Danielle's voice had gone up an octave. It sounded slightly brittle.

"So what's going on here?"

Jeannie looked at all three of them.

"Well, Ian and I were about to play a video game, if you'd like to join us in my game room. Dani is cleaning my apartment, much to my disagreement."

"It needs it!"

"Yes, and not to sound ungrateful, but like I’ve been saying, I could hire a maid."

"I've already done most of the kitchen. I'm making good progress."

Jeannie shrugged, hopping up on the clean counter on Danielle's right side, her feet swinging mindlessly.

"I'll help Dani clean for a bit, then maybe we can go for pizza?"

Stephen nodded, pushing off from the counter and heading towards the game room, 

"Sounds good to me. I'm buying."

Ian rolled his eyes, following suit. 

“You should, since you'll now have TWO maids for free..."

All three of them had been friends with Danielle for over two decades, but it wasn't until this past year that they had all lived in Florida within a few miles of each other. Danielle and Stephen had grown up in Maine, Ian had grown-up in Massachusetts and Jeannie was a New Jersey girl turned Floridian transplant, looking like she'd always belonged there. The internet had connected them originally, but they had all ended up in Florida, whether for college, jobs or family. 

Jeannie fixed her gaze on Danielle, who was finishing up the last of the dishes.

"So! That's the mysterious Stephen."

"He's not mysterious, he's just reserved."

"What's up with you?" 

Jeannie observed her friend's tense frame. Danielle was good at a lot of things, but a poker face was not one of them.

Danielle sighed, finishing up the dishes and removing her gloves, turning to face Jeannie.

"Jeannie, I am happy to see you. I'm sorry if I seemed..”

"The total opposite?"

"Well, yeah."

"So are you gonna tell me what's eating you?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but.."

"Uh oh. This never goes well."

"No, I just - can you. I mean. Can you not ..."

Jeannie studied her friend's nervous stance as she clasped and unclasped her hands, gesticulating wildly.

"Can you not - you know. Sometimes you have a tendency to be overly friendly with new people, and Stephen really likes his space. You know, like he said." 

"He doesn’t seem to mind you in his space,” Jeannie observed, “He was standing rather close to you.”

Danielle rolled her eyes.

“Don’t nitpick. Just promise you’ll respect his limits.”

Jeannie nodded her understanding.

“Okay. Message received, hands off."

Danielle sighed again.

"I'm serious, Jeannie. He doesn't like it. Don't do it.”

Jeannie held up her hands in mock surrender,

"I said I get it. No touching your precious."

At this point, Danielle’s eyes were going to get stuck if she rolled them anymore.

“He's not my --"

"But you wish he was!"

Dani ignored the comment. 

"Are you going to help me clean or what?"

"Nope. I have a better idea.”

Jeannie reached into her purse, pulling out an injection needle.

"What's that?"

Danielle stared at it, hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She hated needles.

"Truth serum," Jeannie replied.

Danielle's eyes practically bugged out of her head.

"How did you get Pentothal?"

Jeannie shrugged.

"Of course you’d use the technical term. Anyway, the less you know, the better."

Danielle continued gawking at her,

"And you just use it. On anyone."

Jeannie pushed away from the counter, standing next to Danielle.

"Not just anyone. I thought we'd try it on your wannabe boyfriend, see if we can get some detailed answers."

"No way! We can't use that on Stephen!"

"Shut up! They'll hear you!"

"NO. I'm not violating him like that."

"He's not some fair maiden, Dani. He doesn't need you to rescue him."

"I know that. But he's my friend. If he doesn't want to talk about things, he has a right to keep them to himself."

"And you have a right to know how he feels. How many years are you going to waste, knocking on a door he refuses to answer?"

"It isn't like that. You don't know what you're talking about. He probably just doesn't --"

"Well don't you want to KNOW? For sure?"

Danielle sighed, contemplating for a moment. Sure, there were plenty of times she wanted to grab Stephen by the shoulders and shake some sense into him, or just kiss him, and see what happened. But that always felt wrong because it was a distinct violation of things he didn't want. This was on a different level. It seemed so much worse. How could they come back from this? She shook her head.

"I can't, Jeannie. I want to know. But I'm not going to abuse my friend to find out. If he never feels the way I do, that's okay. But this is further then I'm willing to go."

Jeannie sighed.

"Always the martyr. Well, good thing for you, I'm not."

Jeannie strode purposely for the game room door.

"Hey Stephy!!”

Stephen made a face. He called back,

"What is with you guys and the cut-off nicknames? Can't you say my whole name? It's not that long.”

There was a commotion in the hallway. He heard thumping sounds. What the hell?

"I SAID NO!"

Danielle had never yelled like that before.

The guys looked at each other, jumping to their feet and dropping their remotes in unison.

"STOP IT ---"

Jeannie's voice was high-pitched and squeaky.

"Ow..."

The guys rushed up as Danielle uttered this single word, separating the women quickly.

"What is going on?"

Stephen was holding Danielle back, her much shorter and plumper frame easily detained within his long arms. He felt the tension radiating off her.

"What happened? And what the fuck is that?"

Ian looked at the two women, gesturing to the discarded (and now empty) syringe on the floor a few feet away. He was just as lost as Stephen, and to the best of his knowledge, neither of these women ever did drugs that weren't legally prescribed to them.

"Dani I am so sorry. I never meant to --"

Jeannie looked from the floor to her friend's stunned face.

"What the hell was in that thing!"

Ian shook Jeannie slightly, as if it might help her remember the answers they were both so desperately seeking.

"Dani?"

Stephen studied her face. The tension had slowly left her frame and she dropped her hands to her sides, standing still. He released her, and they all just stood there. No one said a word for what felt like several minutes, but was probably only a few seconds. Jeannie finally broke the pregnant silence, her voice a meek whisper.

"It was truth serum."

"Truth serum? Pentothal?"

Stephen said, stunned. 

Jeannie nodded weakly.

Stephen continued,

"I mean. That exists, but it's not readily available, like allergy meds. You don't just HAPPEN to have some Pentothal."

"I know a guy, okay?"

"Wait." 

Ian spoke up, finally finding his voice.

"So you injected Dani with it?"

"No, we got into a fight about it, and I had the syringe in my hand, and..."

"What were you going to do with it?"

The guys asked, almost in unison.

"Get Dani some answers."

Jeannie replied, her voice getting smaller with every response.

"Answers? What answers?”

Stephen turned back to Danielle.

“Dani? Dani, are you okay?"

He cupped her heart-shaped face in his big hands. Her normally flushed skin was cool to the touch, and her vibrant green eyes that always flashed at him seemed eerily calm. He didn't like this. At all.

"I'm fine."

Her response was monotone, almost like his usually sounded. This freaked him out even more. She was always talking. Sometimes he wondered if she ever stopped talking. This terse shell-of-Dani scared the crap out of him.

"What the HELL."

Stephen turned on Jeannie. Her tanned skin had taken on a slightly ashy tint.

"You called out to me before we heard the noise and came out here. So you were going to inject me with this? What the fuck kind of answers were you hoping for, that you wanted to inject me with truth serum?"

"I bet I can guess."

Ian's voice was deadpan.

“Well someone better start talking, because you’ve turned our best friend into a truth-telling robot!”

“Can we sit down?”

Jeannie looked towards the living room.

Stephen turned back to Danielle, taking her arm.

“Come on.”

He led her into the living room, sitting her on one of his recliners. She was sitting up straight, which was disconcerting, because if you knew her, she was an infamous sloucher. Her hands rested comfortably on her knees. Stephen sat on the couch opposite her. Jeannie sank into the other recliner beside Danielle, and Ian sat next Stephen.

“So?”

Stephen waited, glancing from Jeannie to Ian.

Ian held up a hand, indicating to Jeannie he’d take the lead on this one. The color was slowly returning to her face but she still looked like she might throw up any minute.

“Look, man. Dani has feelings for you. She has for a long time.”

Stephen stared, uncomprehending, at both of them.

“I know. She told me.”

Jeannie’s brown eyes narrowed slightly, as if by squinting she might somehow see him clearly. She began a rapid fire banter with him.

“You know?”

“Yeah, she mentioned it a while ago. I told her, I don’t date.”

“You don’t date.” 

Jeannie's tone was flat. She was staring at him as if he had three heads.

“No.”

“Because?”

“It’s a social construct designed to pair people off. Something you’re just expected to do because that’s what everyone does.”

“Or maybe, I don’t know, because you want to?”

“But I don’t.”

“You don’t want to date Dani. Ever.”

“THAT’s why you wanted to inject me with serum? To find out if I’d date her? Why didn’t you just ask me?”

“I’ve known you for all of 10 minutes. You were going to give me answers you won’t give her for – how long now?”

“She understands that’s not who I am.”

“Does she? Ask her.”

He looked askance at Danielle. His shoulder slumped slightly.

“I hate this.”

Jeannie folded her arms, angry.

“I don’t understand what she sees in you."

“Join the club,”

Stephen snorted.

Ian reached for Stephen’s shoulder, and he shied away. 

“Isn’t there anything you ever wanted to ask Dani, but you were too scared?”

“I guess.”

“Okay. So how about now?”

Turning his attention to Danielle, Stephen addressed her directly for the first time since they sat down.

“Dani.”

“Yes?”

“Do you understand that I don’t date?”

“Yes.”

“And that it’s not a personal affront to you?”

“Yes.”

“But you still. . have romantic feelings for me.”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“When we were younger. It was more a very protective nature –“

Ian interjected, 

“Which you still have.”

Stephen waved a hand at him to be quiet.

“And then it just. Grew.”

“But doesn’t it. I don’t know. Go away?”

“No.”

“Not ever?”

“Nope.”

Jeannie stood up, furious.

“THIS IS IT?”

Stephen looked from Jeannie, to Ian, back to Danielle’s stoic expression.

“I still don’t know what you want from me.”

Stephen was more confused now than when he found out they injected Danielle with the Pentothal. Jeannie turned her frustrated gaze to Danielle.

“Tell him you love him.”

“Which one?”

Now it was Ian's turn to snort. Jeannie groaned, annoyed.

“Explain why you have feelings for Stephen.”

“I don’t think there’s a simple answer to that. The long answer is complicated.”

The room was quiet for a minute.

“Could you try to explain it?” Stephen asked.

“I can try,” Danielle replied. She began,

“You are the person I want to call when I’ve had a bad day. You are the first one I want to tell good news to. I want to make you feel safe, and cared for. Like you have a safe place to store all your secrets, or a shoulder to lean on if you’re sad. I always worry that the reason you don’t date is because you’ve never allowed yourself to experience that kind-of depth of emotion.”

“That’s part of it, I suppose. Was there anything you wanted to ask me?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry, I forgot how direct you have to be with this stuff. Go ahead and ask me anything you’ve wanted to ask but you were too afraid.”

"Would you give it a shot? Dating, I mean. I'd like the chance to show you that it can be .."

"What?"

"Well, I wanted to say fun, but that sounds really juvenile when I say it out loud. There's more to it. I guess I'd just like the chance to show you what you're missing. And there's something else."

"Something else?"

“Is it me?”

“Is what you?”

“The reason you don’t feel the same way that I do. You just aren’t attracted to me.”

“I’ve never been attracted to anybody. I don’t really know if I’d be able to tell.”

Ian and Jeannie were watching this exchange with a mix of amusement and fascination. At some point, Jeannie had sat back down. 

“You’d be able to tell,”

They echoed in unison.

“Not everything is about, you know..”

Stephen gestured downward.

“Well not everything,”

Ian agreed,

“But generally, to go beyond platonic friendship, attraction is involved in there somewhere. For example, if Dani kissed you, you’d be okay with it?”

“I…I'm not discussing these things with you. And I'm not discussing faffing with you, either. Have some decorum."

Jeannie and Ian burst into uncontrollable giggling.

"Very mature!"

Stephen scoffed at them.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, did you say.."

Jeannie wiped at her eyes.

"Fucking, fornicating, what have you. I'm not discussing it!"

"Oh my god, I just had the greatest idea."

Jeannie clapped her hands like a little kid who just got a gold star in class. She turned to Danielle.

"Dani. Kiss Stephen."

The whole room went quiet again.

"No." She replied.

"No? Can she do that?" 

Jeannie looked at the guys.

"She's not hypnotized, you idiot. She just answers questions truthfully."

Stephen glared at her. This girl was more annoying than a swarm of gnats.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help."

"All you've done since you got here is cause problems."

"GUYS."

Ian interjected,

"I want to get to the point of this Breakfast Club meeting."

Jeannie glared at Stephen briefly, and then addressed Danielle.

"Why won't you kiss Stephen?"

"He doesn't want me to. He likes his space."

Stephen gestured towards Danielle,

"See. She gets it."

Ian sighed softly, 

"Babe. She's still a woman, with hormones, and feelings and shit. Not all of us feel like dating is an obligation. Some of us, we just want to spend as much time as possible with the people we care about the most."

Stephen turned to Danielle,

"Dani, do you feel like I don't care for you?"

"Not romantically, the way I feel for you. But you care about me, and my well-being."

"Does that hurt you?"

"Sometimes. But it's not your fault. You don't intend to hurt me, you just don't reciprocate my feelings."

"I don't.. know if I can. I never tried."

Ian held up his hands in silent thanks to the Goddess above. They were finally getting somewhere.

"Would you be willing to try?", he asked Stephen.

Stephen considered this for a moment.

"I suppose I could give it a shot."

Danielle's posture slumped slightly, and she finally spoke without being addressed first.

“I don’t think you had a lot of that stuff in there, I think it’s fading.”

Her voice and face began to register her relief. Jeannie seemed to visibly relax, sinking further into the recliner.

“I really am sorry, Dani.”

“I know. It’s okay.”

She really did seem to be fine with it.

“Better me than you!” She looked at Stephen.

"I’m not this chamber of secrets. I don’t have skeletons that are going to come tumbling out of a closet.”

He retorted. Danielle felt like she was returning, slowly, to her old self. Only the paralyzing fear that had been gripping her for so long was gone. All she had needed was a push to open the door, and Jeannie had inadvertently given her one.

“You may not have any spooky, scary skeletons in the closet,”

Danielle referred to his favourite Halloween song,

“But you sure do avoid certain topics like a skilled professional.”

“I haven’t avoided anything this entire time.”

“See, I hate doing this to you. I feel like by forcing the issue, you jump to whatever will end the conversation the fastest.”

“So you didn’t want to inject me with Pentothal?”

“Of course not. You know I respect your boundaries.”

“But you wanted these answers.”

“I still do, yes.”

Ian leaned back against the couch cushions, looking up at the ceiling.

“I thought we were making progress. This feels like the longest game of seven minutes in heaven, with no making out.”

Jeannie held up her hands,

“I beyond tried. I brought the serum.”

Ian sat back up.

“Okay, let me see if I can sum this up correctly. You –”

He pointed to Danielle,

“Won’t make a move on him because you feel it violates his personal defensiveness boundaries. And you feel like he won’t allow himself the luxury of breaking beyond those boundaries to explore, because he isn’t attracted to you.”

Danielle nodded.

“And you –”

He pointed to Stephen,

“Don’t know if you are or aren't attracted to Dani, because you’ve never had romantic feelings for anybody.”

“Correct,” Stephen replied.

“This is like Labyrinth. Okay. So does she have your permission then, to test your boundaries?”

"Didn't I already agree to this? I said I'd be willing to give it a shot. I wouldn't have agreed to that if I found her abhorrent."

Ian couldn't help laughing. Jeannie looked at him like he was crazy, and then turned her confused expression to Danielle.

"I ask again, what do you see in this guy? Don't you want more than that? And why are you smiling like that?"

Danielle's grin was spread across her face. She shrugged helplessly.

"He's just being honest. I got more than I hoped for. All I wanted was to know he was willing to try."

"That's it?

Jeannie was exasperated.

"It's everything. It's a beginning. I just wanted a shot. But anyway, guys, this isn’t actually seven minutes in heaven. I’m not going to attack Stephen’s face in front of you. We’re actually in our 30’s, despite today’s events!”

Danielle’s skin was turning a faint shade of watermelon. The flush was actually spreading up her neck to her face. Stephen smiled, seeing her returning to her normal, flushed/hyperactive state. Jeannie stood up, looking at each of them in turn.

"How can you just let this go?"

Danielle looked at her, confused.

"I don't understand why you won't let it go, to be honest. I mean - I'm more grateful to you than I thought I would be. Thank you, for helping me get the answers I've been wanting, even if your actions didn't necessarily justify the means. It all worked out in the end, better than I could've expected."

"Well I don't know about you chuckle heads, but I'm starving. Can we go get that pizza?"

Ian chirped, turning to Stephen,

"You still buying?"

Stephen stood up,

"A promise is a promise."

He held his hand out to Danielle. She looked at it, a myriad of emotions playing across her face. She took his hand, watching as their fingers linked. He gave them a light squeeze, hoisting her to her feet.

"To new beginnings."

Together, they all left the apartment.


End file.
